ATP 250: Sumit Nagal vs Albert Ramos Vinolas: Buenos Aires Open: Quarterfinals

Sumit Nagal sets up an enthralling encounter against the 5th seed Albert Ramos Vinolas in the quarterfinals of the Buenos Aires Open.

Nagal stunned the second seed Cristian Garin in the pre-quarterfinals beating him 6-4 6-3. 

While Nagal's first-serve was a bit inconsistent, he clinched 69% of his second-serve points.

Garin who is regarded as a clay-court specialist was playing his first match on the ATP Tour.

On the other hand, Vinolas overcame German, Dominik Koepfer 7-5 6-4 in the round of 16. The Spaniard claimed 65% of his  first-serve points and also converted 6 out of 8 breakpoints.

Head to Head record

Nagal leads the head to head record 1-0 on the ATP Tour. He defeated Vinolas in straight sets in the quarterfinals of the Lyon Challenger in June 2019. 

Coming through qualifying, Nagal won 3 matches to enter the main  draw of the tournament. He will be oozing with confidence having beaten higher-ranked players like Joao Sousa and Garin in straight sets each.

Some must-know facts about Nagal

• Is ranked 150 currently on the ATP Tour.
• Has played some big names like Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, and Dominic Thiem in his career.
• Spent his growing years by training in Mahesh Bhupathi's tennis academy in Bengaluru.
• Won the Junior Wimbledon doubles title in 2015 partnering Ly Hoang Nam from Vietnam.
• Has played in grand slams like the Australian Open and the US Open.
• Is financially backed by cricketer, Virat Kohli's foundation-run Athlete Development Programme.
• Nagal reached the finals of the 2018 Junior Asian Games.

Key Insights

• Nagal is playing his maiden ATP Quarterfinal
• Nagal is on a 5-match winning streak.
• Vinolas has won two titles on the clay surface in his career.

Game Analysis

Nagal relies on his attacking shot-making by taking the ball on the rise. He gets a lot of winners with his topspin heavy forehand and flat backhand. The Indian can finish off points at the net too.

He must improve his breakpoint conversion rate.

Vinolas is solid from baseline and can hit powerful groundstrokes. Known to be a never-say-die fighter who gives his all till the last point, he can enhance the quality of his game as the match progresses. 

Statistical comparison of Nagal and Vinolas in the tournament

"The win means a lot, I am very happy that I am getting to play a lot of matches, playing against my friend Garin was fun today, I played a good match, followed my game plan and came out on top, I am enjoying being back on clay and looking forward for my next match," said Nagal quite pleased with his performance on the red dirt.

Vinolas has a great record in three-setters on clay. Nagal has to continue his aggressive playing style to make inroads into Albert's strong defense. 

Prediction - Sumit Nagal to win in three sets

Featured Image Credits - Reuters